WESTERN BUREAU:
HIGH COURT Judge Mrs. Norma McIntosh has warned that she would not hesitate to impose the new fines under the Jury Act, if individuals do not respond to summonses to act as jurors.
Mrs. McIntosh urged the police to "get out there and find those who were served as it can't be a matter of them just not turning up".
She was speaking at yesterday's opening of the Easter session of the St. James Circuit Court where the problem of the inadequate number of jurors was highlighted.
In the traditional welcome from the private bar, attorney-at-law Trevor HoLyn told the court that the last four sessions were all affected by the low juror turnout and that was hampering the service of justice. "Justice delayed is justice denied," Mr. HoLyn said. He noted that a more serious attempt must be made to ensure that there were enough people to serve.
MINIMUM NUMBER
A minimum number of seven jurors are needed in some cases, but there must be a full complement of 12 empanelled for more serious cases such as murder.
Crown Counsel Mrs. Diana Gordon-Harrison told the court that 96 persons had been served with summonses to act as jurors and she was hopeful there would be enough so that matters listed could be dealt with in a timely manner.
Mr. HoLyn said it would appear that the other three parishes in western Jamaica had no such problems, as they had, "an abundance of persons willing to serve."
Mrs. McIntosh said, however, she did not think it was so much a matter of an unwillingness to serve, but rather a failure to recognise that they had a duty to perform.
